Affliction
by Avenger007
Summary: Two years after the events of Holy, Cloud tries to integrate his new life with his old self. However, as his previous faults tear at his soul without resolution, Cloud soon finds himself following in the same footsteps of the man who killed her
1. Memory of Despair

Episode 1: Memory of Despair

Death. Pain. Vengeance. This was all that was left of him now.

Flames consumed everything he had ever loved. His life, his childhood, his true self were being erased from existence as he watched from a distance with horror.

Zack raced out of the darkened mansion into the searing light. Fear and desperation continually festered inside his chest with every step he took towards such destruction. Once outside, the heat caused him to stop. His eyes took a few moments to adjust to the blinding light as he covered them with his left arm, but his eyes were not needed to know the truth.  
Zack stoically peered into the flames engulfing his friend's home; his sword instinctively drawn. His silhouette -the only thing standing that wasn't burning in the immediate view.

"How could he do this, how could he Betray us!"

No answers came.

Zack had been trained to be fearless and a pillar of confidence in the face of death, and so he retained a professional and defiant composure despite his feelings as he sheathed his sword and descended the stairs into the town.  
Zack came upon a slaughtered man laying face up in the middle of the town center. A gaping slash nearly severed this young man's body in two. Blood poured from his wounds as his innards seeped along the flow. As he knelt beside the youth, Zack placed his hand upon the man's forehead, and looked gently into those barely conscious and fearful eyes.

"You're going home." The only comforting words that seemed fitting.

A young soldier, head to toe in full battle armor, came blustering in from the entrance side of town. Zack faced down towards his comrade, rose up from the fallen man, and wiped the blood off from his glove. Zack was now in charge of this operation and needed to look as professional and cool as ever.

As he ran towards Zack, his hands trembled so violently that his rifle seemed to be vibrating. Yet, he was determined to be the best soldier he could, and kept his composure just like Zack would. Damn his emotions.

"Where's Tifa," the young soldier spurted out the moment he came upon Zack.

"I don't know." Zack turned his head from side to side, desperately yet calmly looking for what action to take next. -How can I beat Him- the thought overwhelmed most of his cognitive abilities and combat training instinct.

"First, we'll need to check the res…"  
A momentary shock rendered Zack motionless as he came once again to look upon the soldier's face. The glare on the soldier's eyepiece revealed the reflected town's massacrer, standing not 30 feet behind Zack, standing out against the blaze. Zack's eyes widened to the full pits of his skull.

Hesitation Moment over.

Sword drawn, Zack instinctively turned his body to face him, both hands tightly gripping his Buster Sword's Hilt.

"Why did you kill all these people. ANSWER ME CLOUD!"

[Close up screen shot of Cloud's head, his blue Mako eyes displaying all the hatred they can muster. A small smirk adorns his mouth. Camera fades to a full bodied Cloud, wearing Sephiroth's black cloak. Masamune in hand. Without words, he turns into the flames, and walks thru them]

-Cloud jolts up from bed.- [A close up of Cloud's right eye now becomes the only thing visible] Fear and desperation cloud everything.

[Screen cuts to black]  
[Enter Music opening scene ]  
Episode 1: Memory of Despair.

Cloud arose from sleep in a cold sweat. He breathed so quickly and erratically like the fear in his dreams had transcended into the real world. Calming himself felt nothing short of a miracle.  
The room smelled of a stagnant air. Nothing moved in this place. Picturesque embodied the monotony of his room. His cloak hung upon the back of an age old chair, draped over the seat and settling itself upon the ridges embedded into the floor. Several small swords held fast to a makeshift weapon hilt resting above the chair, stained with blood. A small window to the right held the only view to the mystical body of water that resides right outside the home. And in front of him, a full bodied splintered mirror leaned against the opposing wall of Cloud's bed. A cold, broken monster peered into Cloud each waking morning.

He went to face it.

As he mindlessly strode out of bed, his foot treaded upon a puss oozing fleshy dark matter. A haphazard piling of wings lay compiled in a corner near the bed, encrusted with dried blood carcassed from their old master. One wing had toppled off the pile during the night and came to rest at the foot of his bed. It didn't matter though, THAT one was no longer him, and he didn't really care for its safety. He kept them only as a reminder to how many times he's done this before.

Shirtless, Cloud went to stand parallel in front of the mirror. His un-waxed hair laid in individual strands, covering most of his face. From the front, his body had never been so toned. None of this, though, was through any fault of his own.

Cloud reached out and touched one of the crack lines in the mirror  
[ Scene instantly cuts to a momentary memory of Cloud standing in front of the mirror with a large black wing sprouting from his back and a wrathful look on his face as he smashes the mirror with his hand]

[Scene returns to the present with a depressed look on Cloud's face]  
Brushing the hair away from his eyes, Cloud turned his back to the mirror and looked over his left shoulder. His back, no where near as healthy. A crevice appeared over his left shoulder-blade, and a perturbing black feather set began emerging from the opening, slowly but surely. Blood engorged veins spiderred all from his back towards the crevice, as if trying desperately to fight off a vile infection.

"Damn…" sighed Cloud.

A sound coming from outside instantly caught his attention. A small pebble rolling off a larger boulder broke the ambient silence in the air, and managed to disturbed the water, rippling its surface, and falling to a rest forever under its depths.

(Vibrating water, Vibrating hands.. hu,.. THE DREAM) The images of horror reentered into his head.

Cloud had no need to dwell upon his dream. It recurred every night. It's meaning unquestionable. Soon, He feared he would turn into the thing he hated most, the creature that killed her.

No matter what, he could not let that happen.

Cloud fiddled with the hair-wax container on the shelf next to the cracked mirror. He dipped his hand into the goo and for the next 20 minutes spent the time fixing his hair, like she remembered.

Wrestling carefully as to not mess it up, Cloud put on his SOLDIER shirt. He fastened his metallic, supportive glove over his left mangled hand, grabbed his red cloak, draped it around his neck, pulled out one of his worn, dull swords, and descended the stairs to the outside.

Cloud exited his home. Immediately he was at the lakeside of her watery grave.

[Camera shows the edge of the lake where the water meets the rock. Cloud's foot steps into camera view. Camera switches to an undershot positioned as if the camera were located under the water, slowly zooming in onto Clouds face]

Aeris laid at the bottom of the lake, adorned with hundreds of red flowers. Over the centuries, the close proximity to the lifestream had granted the pool sustaining powers. Anything entombed within its waters stayed that way forever, a still picture in a moment of time. Though she was murdered more than two years ago, her body was as intact, peaceful, and beautiful as the day she died.

Everyday Cloud went out into the world to find a flower for his flower girl. Everyday he would return home with one in hand.

Sometimes he would walk for hours before he would find the perfect one for her.

Everyday, he would kneel by the lakeside, gently place the freshly cut red flower into the lake, and as it began to slowly descend to lie next to her, he managed to mutter

"I'm sorry…"

There he would sit in prayer and contemplation, considering and imagining the future memories they could have had together. He envisioned them; settling into a home on the outskirts of Costal Del Sol. There, Aeris and Cloud would set up a home just as they would want it. A training field set up in the backyard so that he could regularly improve himself. A large garden planted in the front that she could lovingly tend to. Their would be a wondrous living room where all their friends could come over, enjoy in small gatherings together, and see how happy Aeris and him would have been. He imagined what their children would have looked like: 1 boy and 2 girls. He even gave them names….

But eventually reality would set in with the setting sun dimming the light upon her lake. None of those dreams really mattered. They would never be. He was alone, and would always be.

If he couldn't be with her, then he would just be content to be her guardian, now until the end.

Yet today, this monotonous routine was no longer enough. He had to end this.

A sudden surge of pain emanated from his left shoulder-blade. Cloud wincingly reached his right hand around to feel an all too easily remembered feeling. The wing had grown large enough and protruded far enough from his back that it tore through his several times patched shirt. With each fresh cutting, the wing grew back quicker and reached its full length faster. He had only cut the previous one off the night before.

With a sigh, Cloud lowered his hand to rest at his side, and slowly shook his head.

"I won't become him," Cloud softly but defiantly said as his peered over the lake. His eyes dropped down to look at Aeris lying peacefully at the bottom.

[Screen flashes to a picture of Cloud's dream home with Aeris. There she stands in the doorway, holding one of the flowers he has picked for her. Her haired blowing gently in the wind]  
[Scene returns to present Cloud]  
"Aeris, I'm coming home…."

Cloud left the City of the Ancients on his typical journey to find a flower.

Outside, the wind blew fiercely to the east. It violently shook and swayed Cloud's cloak, like a bath of blood spewing form his back every new instant. Each gust held hundreds of tiny daggers that cut into Cloud's face, leaving their frost hilts behind on his cheeks. His cold metallic glove felt like a cage of ice, piercing needles into his already destroyed flesh. Yet the harshness of nature could not infiltrate his mind, it could not break his will. He trudged on thru the blizzard

And there, within Shiva's hatred, became known a rock awning, barely 2 feet high. Under it lie a blanket of white, undisturbed by the the relentless frost, free of zealous and tormentful wind, and beneath it, Cloud found a new bud perking out from the fresh fallen snow. He carefully plucked the red rose from its brush, stood up, gave one passing look to the south, and returned back to her grave.

Once next to the lake, Cloud got onto his knees, like so many times before. He unsheathed his small sword from the hilt on his belt, and looked calmly onto her. He fastened the flower to his shirt over his heart.  
Some weight seemed to be pushing against Clouds chest, and for a moment it made him reconsider what he was about to do.  
Yet, he was determined to kill himself. Cloud never really existed, and this shell would soon become the next great evil.

With one fell, precise swoop, Cloud sliced the new wing off from his back. The pain was so excruciating that it literally rendered Cloud motionless. His body fell limp and he rolled down into the lakebed. There, he came to a rest next to Aeris, his head fell to his side, eyes wide open, looking kindly onto her precious face.

"Soon…."

[Scene changes to the last time Cloud had been in Midgar]

Cloud walked along one of the street ways in the Sector 3 topside. Rain trenched the city-side as small rivulets formed on the edges of sidewalks and streets. Cloud dressed himself in a trench-coat, hood up, so that no rain would fall upon him nor would anyone recognize him. A blood stained pocket was the only other color to adorn the blackened slick fabric.

Lights combated with shadows over Cloud's person as he walked down the street. Nothing seemed worthy of his attention. He was only passing through here till he could find a good reconstructive mechanic.

Nothing caught his attention, until all light seemed to fade from the street-side. Puzzled, Cloud looked up to see several bright lights valiantly shining at a large, luxurious billboard.

THE GREAT SOLDIER - CLOUD STRIFE -THE HERO OF OUR WORLD

A large iconic picture of Cloud, holding his old Buster Sword, stood proudly in the night, overlooking Midgar.

Everything paled in brightness to this sign, as cloud stood, beneath it, in the shadows.

Rain rivuleted across his heaven stared face.

He was never that man. He was just a boy that got experimented on and fucked with. It wasn't his persona; he never was a great solider. Hell, he couldn't even make it into SOLDIER. He was just some lucky fucked up kid. He couldn't live up to the hype people wanted him to be. That Cloud was never real. He lived in the shadow of his own self.

No more

[Scene returns to him lying at the bottom of the lake. A large but undetermined amount of time has passed]

The end was coming. Cloud began to feel outside of himself as small purple and black dots filled up his eyesight. He began drifting away. The final remnants of his sight fixated upon her smile.

...

...

Menacing teeth thrust themselves onto Clouds shirt, violently hauling him up out of the water.

[Episode 1 End]

[Scene cuts to clippings from the next episode, with Cloud sitting around, laughing with his friends and having one hell of a party after the end events of Final Fantasy VII. Music begins playing. In Cloud's voice, he narrates and says]

"Nothing feels as good as finding out that all of your Sacrifices meant something. To be with friends at the end of all things is the most important thing in life."


	2. To the Settling of All Things

We Fuckin Did it!

[opening music, screen to instant black]

Episode 2: To the Settling of All Things.

[ Opening scene from inside the cockpit, all 8 of the members stand in profile, with there backs to the camera. The energy from the lifestream is slowly dissipating outside from the cockpit window view. Cid jumps slightly into the air with a raised fist, yelling obscenities of joy. Tifa and Cloud stand in the middle of the screen, close to each other.]

This was a dream, a dream she made real for him. Meteor, Sephiroth, even himself. All his enemies, his fears, his trials had been vanquished. Cloud stared stoically yet lively out the window at the released lifestream, the essence that was of him, of his friends, of those he had lost, and felt for the first time since he could remember…

Content.

As he closed his eyes, lowered his head, and a small smile adorned his lips, he felt the gentle touch of the girl he had had feelings for since he was little graze his left hand.

Blissfulness overwhelmed his head,… and his heart.

Cloud turned to face her. He stared lovingly into her big, luscious, round, beautiful brown eyes. Tears had swelled their outside rims, and she stared, head tilted slightly upwards towards his, gazing into his blue Mako filled own.

Softly,

Is this for real?... Cloud?

Wasting no words, Cloud put his right hand around Tifa to the small of her back, his left hand guided her chin to his, and while pulling her closely tight, kissed her.

Tifa, surprised yet overjoyed, lost herself in that embrace, and felt her body melt, feeling almost one with him.

"Hmrph" grunted Barret. "I knew those two sick love birds would finally get their shit together."

"It's love sick you inconsiderate prick!" scolded Yuffie, as she gave a condescending glace over to Barret's position. "But I think its so cute!" as she returned to stare at Cloud and Tifa, hands clasped, left foot of the ground and tilted back.

"I said what I said," replied Barret a little vexed but lightheartedly. "Hey cap'n, if this ain't no time to celebrate, shit I don't know what is, you got any beers lyin 'round this flyin debacle?"

"Fuck yeah I do!" toted Cid. "Who do you think I am? Some convoluted prissy teenager who fuckin doesn't know her gin from her tonic?" (a smirking glance was made in the direction of Yuffie.) With a pat on Barret's back, Cid led him back to the Captain's private state room, as Yuffie stared in malcontent to the two older gentlemen. She raced to barrage the two for dismissingly her so easily.

With paws tipping softly towards Cloud and Tifa, Red XIII voiced,

"I'm glad this trial is finally past us. But, as fortunate or as unfortunate as you wish to see, we seemed to have lost one of our members."

Red XIII tilted his head back towards the now motionless Caitsith, who sat lifeless against an opposing wall.

"Do you think Reeve has abandoned us Cloud?"

With a small, slight breathed laugh, Cloud responded, "No Red, I think he expects us to go meet him in person." All the while Cloud still clung tightly around Tifa.

"Hmmm, I hope so… even if he was fake, it was still nice having another sentient non-human around." Turning his head around to once again look into the eyes of Cloud, Red XIII responded, "Do you think that Cid may be willing to depart with some of his less than sober beverages? I am 46 you know."

While closing her eyes and smiling brightly at him, Tifa said "I'm sure Cid wouldn't mind, Red, even if you are only 15 to us."

With a light consenting grunt and a shake of the head, Red XIII walked slowly to the back of the airship with the rest of his comrades.

Only Vincent, with crossed arms and a cold stare,… remained.

Cloud gazed onto his vampiric, stoic counterpart and wondered what this valiant yet tragic man would have to say in his words of wisdom.

"Well," as Vincent replied with a lowered head and a closed set of eyes," I'm at least 60,… I doubt they would refuse me." And without even a glance in Cloud or Tifa's direction, Vincent left the windowed viewed room.

Cloud gave a nod in Vincent's general direction, while fully knowing that Vincent neither saw nor cared how Cloud acknowledged him.

Then, as if distinctive and pulled by a force outside of his own, Cloud once again looked upon her gentle face. He knew, from then on, that happiness was all that would remain in his life.

As the lifestream finally began to settle once again back into the Planet, Cloud in Tifa, hand in hand, approached the windows. They gazed out over the surrounding landscape, and saw the beauty of the lifestream restoring the surface of the planet as it was before Meteor had caused its calamity.

"Where to sir?" asked the pilot.

"Right outside of Midgar," Cloud responded. "I have a feeling someone will be there waiting to meet us."

As the airship began to rest towards its final descent of this trip, Cloud and Tifa, embraced in each others arms, looked upon the new world that they had helped to create.

…

When the airship had landed, all the remaining members gathered around, as Cid opened the hatch to the outside. With the feeling of relief, each member was glad to stand once again upon the ground (especially Yuffie.)

Cloud peered over the horizon, and gazed upon the city that both stood for one of the sole factors that transgressed the world while at the same time stood for his new home. While bittersweet memories clouded his head, he soon began to realize that the enemies of the past were gone, and Midgar, at least for the moment, stood as a place for the hope of the future.

As each of them stood, in profile, staring upon the monstrous city they each helped to save, a cloud of dust began rising from the distance, and with each instance, a caravan of vehicles began popping into the members' view.

"Hrmph,' sighed Cid. "Seems like they sent out the cavalry to take care of us fucking rebels," he sarcastically responded. "You think they'd treat us like heroes with a bit of respect. Maybe a parade, or even send a few pleasures of the flesh if you know what I mean."

"Does every utterance out of your mouth have to be a joke, Cid." Vincent's glaring eyes bore into Cid's own as viciousness lurked in waiting, behind his blood red pupils.

"Whatever, it's not my fuckin' problem you're dead an' can't get it stiff."

"And what would Shera have to say about your conduct this far?" lightheartedly questioned Tifa from behind him. "I bet she'd be awfully heartbroken if she could hear you right now."

Stunned for one of the very few moments in his life, Cid had no quip response to say. After a brief pause, Cid raised his right hand to scratch the back of his head, and while turning around to face the group, he closed his eyes and smiled brightly.

Laughing, he said, "Heh, guess I do love the old broad." And with a quick change in facial expression, Cid ornamented an inquisitive look, with eyes starring up. While caressing his chin, he thought aloud, "Guess it was a good thing I didn't burn her up."

A cheerful laughed rolled through each of the members, save for the vampire.

While the group's simple antics and light conversation permeated the surrounding air, Cloud looked strait-forward onto the approaching caravan. By now he could easily identify a lead jeep heading towards them.

The vehicle came to a rolling stop once it had approached upon the left side of Cloud. With the opening of the back right side door, the embodiment of Caitsith's soul- a man with a well-tailored suit, crisp haircut, and a smug smile on his face- began to approach Cloud.

*Smack*

With his human hand, Barret had violently struck Reeve across the face with such force that Reeve flew off his feet, knocking his head against the jeep door.

"Wipe that smile off your traitorous face," -vexed and with no lightheartedness in any of his composure- responded Barret. His gun arm directly and unflinchingly pointing at Reeve.

The two guardsmen inside the vehicle, taken by surprise, scrambled to raise their rifles in reaction to Barret's aggressive and unprovoked response.

With a wave to suggest inaction, the soiled suit, messy haired, and now smile-less Reeve picked himself off from the ground.

"I guess I deserved that," Reeve retorted as his attention became focused on brushing off the residual dirt upon his coat breast pocket. "But like all of you, I contributed my worth to this cause,

wouldn't you agree Cloud."

With closed eyes and a lowered head, Cloud sarcastically responded, "I'm just upset Barret beat me to it."

Soft laughs once again spread throughout the group (save for the vampire), while the remaining jeeps in the caravan finally arrived at their destination.

"These vehicle's here are part of our welcoming committee. We're here to escort you back into the city so as to avoid the mobs and to ge…"

"Wait just a damn minute," blurted out Barret. "Just who da' hell is this welcoming committee, cause I'll be damned if I be riding into Midgar on Shinra's back."

"No," responded Reeve," once the attack from the Weapon hit the president's office, the major stock holders pulled out of the company. They feared that with no direct CEO, and with a company that had been dwindling rapidly in the public's eye, their investments were no longer deemed safe. With Shinra losing that influence, and with my help, the mayor was able to reestablish control over the city.

"Why didn't you tell any of us this before, Reeve," questioned Tifa.

With a smug shrug, Reeve coyly said, "Never seemed like the right time. Plus, if we failed, none of that would have mattered.

In any event, during the meantime, I gathered up ex-Shinra employees who were responsive to your guys' cause, and founded Neo-Shinra. This, of course, has only happened over the few last days, and in spite of what remnants of Shinra may still exist.

The mayor, in this time of crisis and lack of resources, has asked Neo-Shinra to deal with you heroes of Avalanche. Taking care of their safety, holding press conferences, medal ceremonies, addressing their public image… just typical celebrity stuff."

"Celebrity?!" Yuffie shouted with glee. "We're gonna be celebrities?! This, this is awesome!" After jumping around for a few moments and acquiring numerous glares of astonishment towards her erratic behavior, Yuffie rushed up to Cloud's side, and with a violent tug upon his wrist, commanded," Come on Spikey, let's go. The great Ninja Yuffie's fans are in dire waiting."

"Celebrities…" disheartenedly spoke Cloud. A feeling of worry erupted onto Cloud's face; his eyebrows slightly down arched, his smile went numb, his eyes looked backward into his mind.

Cloud's introverted state became interrupted as he looked down to see the eager young girl, dragging him towards the jeep.

"Something wrong, Cloud?" Questioned Reeve.

"No its just…

[screen flashes to a memory Cloud has when he learned he did not make it into SOLDIER. Another flash to Zack's Death. Flash to Cloud picking up Zack's Buster Sword]

…, its just, let's take this one step at a time."

"And I know what that first step is," interjected Cid. "To get fuckin' smashed." And as Cid approached Cloud and put his hand around Cloud's shoulders, Cid said, " Come on Mr. Emo, there's this bar I wanna take you to in sector 5 topside. The place is seedier than hell, but they got a great home-brewed bourbon that I'd trade my left nut for. It's the best place for a couple of terrorists like us to hang out."

"You are easily the vilest man I have ever met," Tifa ghastly responded with slightly widened eyes of astonishment.

A deep, grunted laugh came bellowing out of the vile man's mouth. "Come on you bunch of slack jawed hooligans. Last I checked, I was still the leader of this operation, and I'm orderin y'all to get in the jeeps and go."

While letting go of Cloud, Cid approached the nearest jeep, went to the driver's side door, and hijacked the vehicle.

"Let's ride," the last words anyone could hear from Cid's mouth as he spun ties out in anticipation of his departure. A slightly ruffled and scared guard sat in the passenger seat.

Seeing Cloud's general disinterest in her, Yuffie had let go of him, and went in search of the last male who hadn't dismissed her yet this night.

During Cid's antics, Vincent had crept away into one of the marginal jeeps. Looking rather disinterested in the surrounding matters, he sat in the back, his red cape engulfing most of the rear of the jeep.

Eerily sensing the approaching annoyance, Vincent lifted the fraction of his cape that laid to his right side, and threw it over his left shoulder, moments before Yuffie plopped herself down next to him.

"Vincent, isn't this great! Not only are we gonna be heroes, but we're gonna be celebrities." She continued to blurt out, "Oh and not just celebrities, RICH celebrities. I'll be able to buy all the material I want.

People will want to know all about me. I'll probably have to write books, and maybe a instructional video on my fantastic ninjistu techniques. Oh, and there will totally be tons of parties, and they will probably want m….."

Instantly, Vincent instinctively withdrew his gun from his hostler, and pointed it dead in between Yuffie's eyes…"

"Shut up."

Without waiting for response, Vincent jumped out of the jeep, and went to approach the farthest vehicle from her.

Astounded, Yuffie sat there for a moment dazed. Quickly, she shook this feeling off. She would not let all the men tonight treat her with such disrespect.

As she jumped out of the vehicle and running after him, she began yelling, "Hey.. HEY… don't you run away from me.. HEY, VAMPIRE, look at me, young teenage virgin girl, ripe for the pickin.' "

Cloud looked onto the antics of all his friends. The last few days had been torn with such grief, pain, and despair. Now, everyone's attitudes had transmigrated into the surreal, and happiness bounced from one soul to the next, infecting them with a sense of relief and comfort. A tear began forming on the inset of his left eye.

…It dropped when she touched him again.

"Come on Cloud, let's go meet up with the rest of them," as Tifa lovingly said, putting herself into Cloud's view.

"Is... is that a real emotion I see on my Cloud's face," as she wiped away the one tear from his cheek.

"Tifa…"

"Yes," she breathed softly, inching her face towards his own.

"I…

I…."

A honk came from an approaching vehicle, with Barret driving at the wheel, sitting in the jeep alone. His short but thrusting hand gestures were urging Cloud to quickly come over to him.

Lowering Tifa's hand from his face, he left her side, and sternly walked over to Barret's jeep.

Confused, she felt slightly abandoned, and a feeling of worry engulfed her chest.

…

"Hey," Barret said as Cloud approached him, "I'm heading on over to Sector 6 slums…"

Pain became Cloud.

"… I just figured that I haven't seen Marlene in awhile, and I figured I'd pick her up and take her with us tonigh…"

Sadness became Cloud.

".. and I was just wondering," Barret said as he began to stumble for words, looking desperately for something to attach his eyesight to. With a head lowered, Barret continued' wondering if you wanted me to invite Elmyra along."

Regret became Cloud.

A single tear formed on the inside of Cloud's right eye, and fell, amongst other similar tear markings into the dirt below.

[the two men, staring in opposite directions, spoke no words. Only the rumble of the engine could be heard breaking the silence.]

'Yeah," Cloud said softly, trying to hide his true state to Barret. Cloud placed his right hand on the driver's door, stabling himself.

Slowly, Cloud said, "Yeah, I think she would want her there."

"Right, …right..." Barret lightly tapped the steering wheel, relaxed his body, and slouched into the seat, eyes starring blankly out the windshield.

"well probably be there an hour or so after ya' guys…" Barret told the windshield. His head slightly bobbled and shifted on his neck, trying to calculate the validity of response.

With a nose breathed nod, Cloud turned away from the vechile, and defiantly yet calmly strode back to Reeve's jeep.

Barret, wasting no time, sped off to finally see his daughter once again.

…

Tifa, rushing to his side, was happy that he had not left her alone, that they could ride together into Midgar., and as she reached for his hand, the pain in her chest began to subside.

They never grasped.

Cloud simply strolled past Tifa, barely acknowledging her presence. Her hand left in waiting.

Once past, with a slight back tilt of his head, Cloud softly but sternly commanded,

"Come on,.. lets go."

And walked onward to the vehicle.

"Back to cold so soon.." Tifa thought, as she sighed dejectively.

Like a scolded dog, head held low, she submissively followed her master, keeping distance between them.

…

No words permeated in the air as Reeve's jeep plowed through the dirt ridden terrain on its way back to Midgar. An empty back seat held its no-mans-land between the two sick love birds. Happiness fleeted with each ounce of gas. Cloud, with his left hand holding fast to the outside of the jeep, stared northward. Opposite and distant, resting her chin upon her right hand, Tifa stared at nothing.

…

Hours later the jeep rolled up to in front of the Sector 5 topside bar. As Reeve stepped out of the passenger's side door, one of the two uncomfortably seated guards shifted over to his vacant position. Slowly, both Cloud and Tifa exited the back, and stood in opposing positions.

As the vehicle drove off, Reeve, sensing the uneasiness in the air, managed the courage to report, "Ill just be inside if you need me."

Neither one acknowledge him.

Clearing his throat, "Most likely most of them will be waiting inside for us…: and with no way to finish his though, Reeve simply left it at that, and strode inside the bar."

"Look Tifa," Cloud began as he turned to Face her. A ray of hope entered into her mind upon turning around to greet him.

"Tonight…. Let's just make the most of what it is… and be happy."

Uncharacteristic words, but a familiar sense of tone.

With eyes closed, a small smile, and a slight nod, Tifa responded,

"Okay."

Upon walking around the jeep standing next to him, all ready to embrace the entry way, she was astounded to feel this time, his hand, reaching for hers.

Together, they embarked into Cid's seedy hellhole.

…

"Heads up, shitbag!"

A glass, half full of bourbon, came whizzing at Cloud's face.

Instinctively and letting go of Tifa's hand, Cloud whirled out his Buster Sword, swept through the air with force and precision, and sliced the glass in two.

The two halves, still holding their respectively liquid, smashed against the door side wall.

"Hrmph," grunted a slightly drunk Cid, cigarette in mouth, hovering around the bar top. "You've gone and fucked up my drink. I know you've got 'cat like reflexes' an' all, but shit son, did ever your poisoned mind think about catchin' shit before you break it?"

A roar of laughs embellished the air. Cloud could only smile. He could take this one quip from Cid… but only one.

Returning the sword to its back hilt and regaining his non-combative posture, Cloud sauntered into the bar, and sat down at the table with the rest of his friends.

"Round 'o drinks on the cap'n, barkeep!" yellingly demanded Cid. And uproar of cheers followed.

Stumbling his way over to the sitting Cloud, and placing his hand upon Cloud's back, Cid belched, " And what will Emo be having."

With a smirk on his face, and tilting up to look at Cid, Cloud said, "Something hard."

Tifa blushed and smiled on the other side of the table.

Jovialness fluttered around the room as each of the members present shared pleasant stories from their adventure over the last strifeful months. Even Cloud, unlike himself, shared numerous stories about their plights. Only Vincent, empty handed, sat wordlessly at the end of the table.

"Hey guys," Yuffie began, " remember that time in Cosmo Canyon when Red was all like ' oh I hate my father, rwar rwar,' and then later on was like, ' oh Daddy, I'm so sorry, whimper whimper."

Red XIII, disdainfulness vibrantly showering his face, secretly began inching his flamed tipped tail under the table at Yuffie's leg.

"Yeah," said Cloud, "but I also remember the time when you were a total Bitch and secretly stole all our material."

Another roar of laughter enveloped the room while Yuffie set pouting, arms crossed, secretly plotting her own revenge against Cloud.

And so the night tumbled forward, drink after drink, story after story, with little regard to time and events outside of this place.

Only when a tight grip around Cloud's chest from small hands did the lightheartedness seem to settle down.

"Cloud!" the little girl barked as she pressed the side of her face against Cloud's back.

Cloud, returning to the present, with all the memories this little girl brought with her, lightly said,

"Hi, Marlene."

Cloud turned around and embraced the little girl with all the love someone like him, at the time, could show.

After hugging her so gently, Cloud peered up at the entranceway, and laid eyes upon his old large friend,… and then.. following an eyesight path downward… HER mother.

Setting Marlene aside, Cloud stood up from the table, and, with reservation, approached the older woman at the door.

Silence rushed in and stole the voices of every patron.

"Its nice to see you again, Mrs. Gainsborough," Cloud said, with all the fake happiness he could muster.

"Oh Cloud," she said caressing his arm, " you can just call me Elmyra." They embraced, as Cloud suffered his will to hold back his shaking body and bursting emotions. "Its good to see you again,.. and," closing in upon his left ear, whisped "I know she's proud of you."

His will was no longer enough, but his composure held tight. Foreign tears ran down Elmyra's cheek.

"Thankyou," Cloud responded. He held Elmyra a little longer than a normal hug.

Sensing Cloud's unwillingness for others to see him in his somber state, Tifa said, "Come on everyone, this is a party. Hey Barkeep, turn on some music.. I feel like dancing"

Tifa rushed over to drunk Cid's side, and while pulling on his arm, drug him over to the dance floor."

Cid, overjoyed at this developing proposition, more than willingly subjected to Tifa's will. "Finally, some action!" he drunkenly spewed. "Aight Tits, let's do this!"

*Smack*

Like a polaroid, a large, red handed print developed on the side of Cid's face.

"Tifa," Cid burped, "I mean Tifa."

Following their initiative, several patrons followed in response. Even Yuffie propositioned Vincent. Vincent simply got up, and walked out the backdoor.

Once attention shifted away from them, Cloud let go of Elmyra, and eased in his position.

"I'm sorry to do this to you right now," Elmyra apologetically said to Cloud, "but I don't want to forget to do this."

Gently placing into his hand, Elmyra gave a rolled up piece of parchment to Cloud.

"For later…," she softly spoke.

With a simple nod of the head, Cloud smiled, and returned back to his seat.

…

A few hours later, and more drinks than he was willing to admit, Cloud had had enough of this scene, and went in search of his friend Vincent.

In a well conducted matter, Cloud approached the backdoor, strode outside, and was a little surprised to find both Vincent and Cid, seemingly talking outside.

With and outstretched hand and a three-fourths empty pack, Cid was propositioning Vincent a smoke.

"I never touch the stuff," Vincent said coldly.

"What," Cid retorted, "Its not like they'll fuckin' kill you."

Vincent continued to stare with a stern cold face.

"Fuck,' Cid responded with an over-exasperated sigh, "why do I even bother!... Hey Cloud, maybe you can spruce up some life into him. I'm tired of trying to play 'happy train' for this bloodsucker."

And with the last of his remarks, Cid waddled, back inside, pulling the door open much more than needed to be.

"Just for curiosity's sake," Cloud wondered aloud," why ARE you so cold with everyone."

"Because I can't get close to anyone," bitterly remarked Vincent.

Then, as if floating, Vincent came up next to Cloud, standing face to face, and held a presence that would of terrified anyone save Cloud.

"You know what I am, and what I've don..

"That doesn't matter now, you helped sav…"

"It does matter, and it always will."

A moment of silence and stern looks combated between the two men.

"I've killed people Cloud, … I've fed on human flesh, and I enjoy it. The only reason I don't kill the eight of you is because of some humanity still residing in my soul."

Tilting his head in shame away from Cloud, sighing dejectively, and closing his eyes, Vincent responded, "I can not be around anyone. Those people inside,… their, …. Their veins call to me."

"Here…" Vincent said, as he held out his hand holding a letter. "You'll have more use of this than I.

I won't see you again."

With his final depressing yet stern words, Vincent swiftly turned from Cloud's side, and walked off into the night.

[Cloud was left, holding the paper in his hand, watching for the last time his friend leave his side.]

[Cloud narrating: "That was the last time the eight of us were together. The next day, Neo-Shinra held a press conference for the rest of us. It was a ceremony" [ scene cuts to the seven ( with Caitsith in line) on a platform in the downtown part of the city ] "where they each gave us medals. Reeve wanted to keep us separate from the rest of the group, which I guess was a bit valiant of him to not directly associate us with the new company. The mayor gave a slightly scripted but heartfelt speech, and the crowd, through their up- roaring cries, gave us all thanks.

After that day, we each began to settle into our new lives.

Reeve went on to fulfill his role as president of Neo-Shinra. He spends most of his time trying to convince the world that the new company is Planet friendly, and has implemented several programs target at helping the environment.

Cid took up the job as the CEO of Space Exploration in Neo-Shinra at Reeve's suggestion. He married his devoted love, Shera, and became the embodiment of the man trying to live in the new peaceful times. He still smokes cigarettes.

Yuffie really took into the celebrity life.. She became the height of pop culture. To feed off her fame, she released a Ninja workout video, and continues to attend famous peoples balls and functions, Through he help of the media, she became known as the "sweetheart" of all men in the world

Red XII returned home to Cosmo Canyon. He took up his grandfather's research. He now teaches classes there about astronomy and history. Currently, he prefers to be called Nanaki, in hopes of slightly distancing himself form the public eye.

Barret opened a weapon shop in Costal Del Sol. There he keeps the legendary weapons we all used to defeat Sephiroth, as well as sells arms to defeat monsters that still exist in the world. He also has a simple application in which people can sign up for Avalanche, and keeps a website about all the things still wrong with the world. He uses the store's money as a means to help support Marlene and all those left unfortunate from the tragedy that happened in Midgar.

Vincent faded out of existence. Only through vague reports have we heard that he spends his time as an unknown mercenary, a continual vigil to his past Sins.

Tifa resided to re-open her bar. She calls it Seventh Heaven. It is in Costal Del Sol, next to Barret's shop.. The walls are adorned with our personal stories and journal reflections of our life over our journey. Naturally, The most stories are done by Yuffie, containing her embellished importance in the group, I have only a few, and Vincent has one, the letter he gave me, an apology to Lucrecia.

For me, well, I simply spend my time helping Tifa out in her bar. For now, I'm content where I am.

[End of Episode 2]

[Scene cuts to clippings of the next episode , with the eight members standing around Aeris' grave. In Cloud's voice, he narrates and says]

"We will never forget you… you are always with us… especially me."


End file.
